FORMER MINISTER ESCAPES JAIL FOR SKIPPING BORDER

HARARE – Former Local Government Minister SAVIOUR KASUKUWERE of ZIMBABWE has been acquitted of the crime of leaving the country illegally.

The charges arose after he skipped the border during the military OPERATION RESTORE LEGACY that removed former President ROBERT MUGABE last NOVEMBER.

The police arrested Mr KASUKUWERE on his return from self-imposed exile and charged him with violating immigration laws.

Magistrate JOSEPHINE SANDE has ruled the former ruling ZANU PF Political Commissar did a reasonable thing to run away with his life when soldiers besieged his home.

In her ruling, Magistrate SANDE says the Court had an appreciation of bullet holes and empty cartridges at the residence of Mr KASUKUWERE in the capital, HARARE.

She says the Court does not operate in isolation and cannot ignore events related to the OPERATION RESTORE LEGACY.

The Court had heard Mr KASUKUWERE’s life was in danger when he fled with former Higher Education Minister JONATHAN MOYO, former Youth Minister PATRICK ZHUWAO and a number of others.

The former Local Government Minister says security agents carrying AK-47 rifles raided his home and he had to make a run.

Kasukuwere’s bullet riddled window (Pic. The Herald)

OPERATION RESTORE LEGACY saw thousands of people joining the military operation, ahead of parliamentary moves to impeach the former dictator who was now ruling with an iron fist.

Former President MUGABE resigned after a series of discussions with army commanders following his dismissal of his then deputy, EMMERSON MNANGAGWA, now the Head of State, and attempts to force his wife into the presidency.

The 94-year-old politician had ruled for 37 years during which he literally ran down the country through policies that brought industry to a halt, although his administration managed to resettle millions of formerly impoverished blacks.

A number of other present and former senior government officials as well as ministers face a variety of charges, including serious corruption cases, as ZIMBABWE goes for general elections on 30 JULY this year./Sabanews/cam